Support stands of various types are known and have been used for a variety of purposes. In the music and entertainment fields, support stands are used for supporting items such as microphones, speakers, lights, etc.
Many of such support stands are adjustable as to height. For example, many support stands include a telescoping upright member. A lock or catch means is used to hold the uppermost portion of the upright in a desired position. Some types of locks and catches work better than others.
Another disadvantage associated with certain types of support stands concerns the type of base member used to support the upright member. For example, one common style of a base previously used is a solid, heavy metal base (usually made of cast iron). Such bases are bulky and cumbersome. Consequently, they are not easy to carry or transport. Another common style of a base which has been used is a steel tripod whose legs fold or collapse downwardly. The tripod is releasably secured to the stand (for example, with a wing nut which may be loosened, thereby allowing the folded tripod base to slide upwardly along the stand). Thus, the tripod base is a separate unit which must be securely fastened to the stand in order to support the stand in a stable manner.
Another type of telescoping microphone stand which has been available utilizes a tilting disk at the bottom of the vertically adjustable section of the stand. The tilting disk is designed to prevent the adjustable section from being pulled downwardly by gravity but it does not restrict upward movement of such section. A movable knob at the upper end of the stand is designed to tilt and release the disk to allow downward movement of the adjustable section. Thus, such stand does not involve a positive lock of the vertically adjustable section to the stationary section.
Another problem with conventional support stands (such as microphone stands) is that they cannot be easily stacked for storage or transport. Even those support stands which have folding legs are not always conveniently stored or transported. Certainly, such stands are not easily stacked.
Yet another problem with conventional microphone stands which include an extensible riser member is that a pinch point exists between the upper end of the riser and the upper end of the main upright member. Thus, care must be taken to prevent one's hand from becoming pinched when the riser member is lowered to its lowermost position.